


Midnight Kisses

by Dazzledfirestar



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Threesome - M/M/M, Tony's a big ol' gossip, Triad relationship, talk of assumed unfaithfulness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-21 08:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzledfirestar/pseuds/Dazzledfirestar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The rumor mill never takes a day--or night--off. Even for New Year's. (Prompt #22 for Feelstide)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight Kisses

Ice. He was still trying to figure out why Pepper was under the impression that he should get more ice. He was sure he was paying someone to do this stuff and to be honest; for the life of him, he couldn’t quite remember the last place he’d seen an ice machine in this part of the Tower. So Tony found himself wandering. Not aimlessly, though some might accuse him of that, but wandering nonetheless.

 

Alright aimless may have been fair, he admitted if only to himself as he strolled down a hallway of what looked like guest rooms. He almost smirked as his attention focused on a thin line of light on the floor near the last door. Whoever was in there should have known better. At least now he’d have some good gossip to go back to the party with.

 

If his interest hadn’t been piqued before, when he heard voices that sounded suspiciously like Nick Fury and Agent Coulson—Phil… right, Pepper had told him to stop with the Agent crap— _Phil_ Coulson, he thought maybe he hit it big and they were talking about world crises and shadowy conspiracies. All stuff he shouldn’t and now would know about it.

 

He nearly blew his cover when he heard Fury laugh.

 

“--half a chance we’ll get caught here, you know.”

 

“I know. It’s only a few minutes. I’m sure everybody’s too full of egg nog to notice we’re gone anyway.” There was a level of amusement in Ag—Phil’s voice Tony was absolutely sure he’d never heard before. What the hell was going on? “Besides, you know we can’t do this the traditional way, though I wouldn’t say no to a kiss at midnight.”

 

“We could have pulled it off if we’d stayed home.”

 

“More questions. More bullshit than its worth and we all know it.”

 

And there was that laugh again. Tony never would have guessed such a warm, open noise could come out of Nick fucking Fury. “I’m starting to think you just like being somebody’s dirty little secret.”

 

Wait… what?

 

“Maybe.”

 

Hang on a minute. Tony was getting a slightly nauseous feeling; slightly reminiscent of when he walked in on his parents when he was nine. “Oh my God…” He mouthed the words to himself but couldn’t quite stop the morbid curiosity. He pushed a little on the door to see-- “Oh. My. God…”

 

Tony was pretty sure this was his worst fear realized. There they were; two of the scariest men he knew—he’d never tell them or anyone else that but still—making out like teenagers. If that was either of their ideas of a midnight kiss, Tony absolutely did not want to know. On any level.

 

He made it back to the party in record time and tracked down Pepper talking to Bruce. Perfect! He must have looked like a kid on Christmas morning. “You will never guess what I stumbled on.”

  
“Obviously not ice.” Pepper frowned.

 

“What?” It took Tony’s brain a second to realize he had been on a mission—a silly one, but still—and not just digging for gossip. He waved her off. “No, no that’s not important right now. Fury and Coulson are fucking.”

 

Bruce’s eyebrow shot up. “Right now?”

 

“No! Maybe… I don’t know. It didn’t take me that long to get back here…”

 

Pepper rolled her eyes. “I think you’re overreacting.”

 

“Okay, I know I do that. I do. But this time, Pep, this time I promise I am not bullshitting you.”

 

“You’re sure?” Bruce’s eyebrow seemed to be making a bid to escape his face, it had climbed so high.

 

“They were making out like mom and dad were going to bust through the door any second, so yeah. I’d count that as proof.”

 

Pepper rolled her eyes and waved a hand a Tony. “You’re ridiculous. And completely unhelpful. I have to go find the caterer.”

 

Bruce chuckled as Tony ranted after her. “She has a point though.”

 

“I tried to find ice.”

 

“No, no. About how this isn’t really any of our business.” Bruce swallowed the last of the tea in his mug. He held it up and smiled. “I’m due for a refill anyway.”

 

“The bartender makes a hell of a blueberry tea,” Tony grinned.

 

Bruce shook his head. “I don’t drink. And I really don’t drink Red Rose.” Tony’s laugh followed him to the private elevator that would lead to the communal floor that had been set aside for the Avengers. He hadn’t been lying about the tea. He was fully aware that he could be far too picky about that, but he also felt the need for a break from the noise and the crowd. Somehow Calcutta had felt less oppressive than one of these things.

 

Maybe because people expected him to be social at these things.

 

He was halfway through making his second fresh cup when the elevator dinged and opened, spilling light down the hall. He didn’t call out, figuring someone else had had enough of the party for now and had wanted a little privacy. He wasn’t about to mess that up for anyone.

 

Obviously they hadn’t wanted to be completely alone though. Bruce smiled and shook his head at Clint’s voice.

 

“Nobody’s going to be down there. Most of the team figures that Stark’d track them down and drag them back by the hair if they try to escape.”

 

Bruce nearly dropped his mug when a second voice chuckled lightly.

 

“That might not be quite so easy with some of us.”

 

Bruce was fairly sure he was reading this wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. He wasn’t a social genius after all. But something in the way Agent Coulson was talking… no. No, he had to be wrong. Besides, hadn’t Tony just told him about Agent Coulson and Director Fury? Phil Coulson did not read the like the player type… and certainly not with two people he worked with.

 

He had himself firmly convinced that this was a case of his own social ineptitude and that feeling lasted until he finished steeping his tea and picked up his mug again. As he rounded the corner toward the elevator though, he was confronted with the certainty that he’d been absolutely right in his original understanding.

 

Clint had his back to the wall, not held there, just leaning heavily with his arms firmly around Agent Coulson’s shoulders. The agent was leaning in, bracing himself against the wall with one hand, cupping the back of Clint’s head with the other and…

 

Bruce moved back around the corner, mouth opened and staring blankly into his tea. That must have been a hell of a kiss. He peaked around again, noticing they were pressed closer, Clint’s thigh between Coulson’s and the occasional soft moan breaking up the silence around them.

 

After two cups of tea and several minutes watching the snow fall over New York—it really was beautiful this time of year—Bruce took another peak around the corner. Apparently, at some point during his meditations on the beautification of the city, Clint and Agent Coulson had either gone back to the party or… gone somewhere else he wasn’t going to think about.

 

He spent the elevator ride wondering how one would even approach Director Fury and tell him his possible lover might possibly be cheating. That was a conversation he was sure was not his to start but…

 

His frown as he wove his way through the party goers must have drawn some attention. Pepper took his arm and pulled him to a quieter corner to check in. “If Tony’s being a pain you’re more than welcome to leave. I know he can be a bit much at times.”

 

“It’s not that. Tony’s fine.” He accepted the glass of soda water she pressed into his hand. “I’m just wondering if he wasn’t onto something.”

  
“What?”

 

“About Director Fury…”

 

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Doctor Banner, let me fill you in on something about Tony. He’s a horrible gossip. I would bet that Director Fury and Phil were just having a conversation and he extrapolated the rest.”

 

“Are you sure, though?”

 

Her head tilted to the side and he got a new level of sympathy for any creature he’d ever examined under glass during his years of education. “I’m pretty sure… why?”

  
“I’m not one to gossip but…”

 

“Well, now you have to share.” She smiled and it put him almost at ease. It was definitely better than the scrutinizing look from before.

 

“I may have seen Agents Barton and Coulson in a… private moment.”

 

“Oh…” Pepper’s eyes went wide for a second. “ _Oh_. Oh, you think Phil… no. No, that can’t be right.”

 

“I know what I saw, Pepper.” Bruce sighed. “And if Tony saw what he thinks he saw…”

 

“That can’t be right.”

 

Bruce frowned again and shrugged helplessly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

 

She seemed to snap out of the stupor she’d fallen into. “No, no. Bruce, its fine. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation to all of this.” She started to walk away, seeming as if she was on a mission, before she turned back, putting her hand on his arm. “Don’t say anything to Tony though.”

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

 

“Thank you.” Pepper flashed him one more quick smile and she was off. She couldn’t believe it. One of the two stories had to be wrong. Of all the people she knew she was sure the last of them that would even consider being unfaithful to someone he cared about would be Phil. She’d never really gotten the casual fling guy vibe from him either. So that meant either someone was wrong—if that was the case, it was likely Tony—or there was something else entirely going on there.

 

She had a vague idea of what that might be but she wasn’t quite ready to give it a name yet. She had a few things to check out first.

 

Before she could get too far down her list though, the head bartender waved her down and told her they were running low on champagne. “It’s New Year’s.” He shrugged. “Bubble goes fast.”

  
“Alright.” She sighed and checked her watch. It was nearing midnight. “I think I have a few cases in the cellar. Give me five minutes.” Gossip, it seemed would have to wait.

 

It was probably for the best, she mused as she made her way down the hall toward the cellar. It wasn’t until she had her hand on the cellar doorknob that she registered the voices from inside.

 

“Getting slow in your old age?” Agent Barton’s voice seemed to echo in the small room for a moment before it was followed by a chuckle.

 

“You know better than that. Maybe I was saving the best for last.”

 

“We both know that’s not true.”

 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

  
“So you keep telling me.”

 

Pepper’s eyes went wide again and before she could talk herself out of it, she gingerly pushed the door open. Though the opening she saw Director Fury, smiling softly. That was odd enough but the smile disappeared as he leaned in and pressed a far softer than she would have guessed kiss to Agent Barton’s lips.

 

Well, that changed her perspective entirely. A grin crossed her face and she pushed the door open. “Gentlemen. Don’t let me interrupt.” She smiled warmly, grabbing the case of champagne she’d been sent for and closed the door without another word.

 

Nobody was going to believe this.

 

The case of wine safely stashed behind the bar, she went looking for conformation of her theory. “Phil!”

 

He turned to face her and smiled a little. “Happy New Year, Pepper.”

 

“Is it almost midnight already?” She kissed his cheek and continued to grin at him. She could see the wheels turning already. “Maybe you should find someone to kiss.”

 

“I think I’ll be skipping that particular tradition.” He shook his head.

 

Her grin grew and she leaned into him. “Or, you could go back to the wine cellar.”

 

“Why exactly?”

 

Pepper pulled back and gave her a look that usually got Tony to do exactly what she wanted him to do. It didn’t work quite so well on Phil but… she was sure it got the point across. “I think I saw Director Fury and Agent Barton heading in that direction.”

 

To his credit he didn’t reach for obvious denials. “Is that right?”

 

“Mhmm.” She nabbed a glass of champagne off the tray of a waiter and took a sip. “You have the world’s best poker face, but you aren’t fooling me for a second. You should see how fast the rumor mill is spinning tonight.”

 

“How did you figure this out?” He sighed, slumping a little.

 

“Tony heard you and Fury. Bruce saw you and Barton.” She shrugged. “I had the pleasure of interrupting them both a few minutes ago. I put two and two together and—“

 

“Do you think we can attempt to keep this quiet?”

 

Pepper reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Phil, please. Have a little faith in me.” She glanced at her watch. “And get back there so you can all have a proper midnight kiss.”

 

He shook his head and sighed again before turning toward the bar and the hallway leading to the wine cellar.

 

“Oh, and Phil? I think it would be wise if none of you drove home tonight. There’s a room with a brand new king sized bed in it down a few floors.”

 

He chuckled. “Well, as long as you’re only concerned with our safety.”

  
“Of course.” Pepper raised her glass to him. “And don’t think you’re getting out of explaining all of this to me later.”


End file.
